Public Information Specialist Family
Career series with 4 positions across 4 levels
New Jersey classifies Public Information Specialist as a 4-level family, 4 titles in all, built for step-by-step advancement.
Entry is typically through Public Information Specialist 1 Digital Content, advancing through the ladder toward Public Information Specialist 4 Digital Content.
Public Information Specialist reports to supervising titles such as Supervising Program Development Specialist and Senior Environmental Health Specialist.
Specializations
Positions in This Family
What the Public Information Specialist family covers
Public Information Specialist covers 4 title codes arranged into 4 levels of responsibility. Every title in it is a local title, used by the counties, municipalities, authorities and boards that have adopted civil service under Title 11A rather than by state departments.
These titles are the state's outward face: press and public information, tourism promotion, economic development, business assistance and the customer service counters at the agencies the public actually deals with. Several of them, particularly the government representative series, are unclassified catch-alls used across many departments for very different jobs, so the title tells you less about the work than usual. Salary comparisons across agencies are correspondingly unreliable for that group.
What each title does
Reading the definitions side by side is the quickest way to see what changes as you move through the family.
- Public Information Specialist 1 Digital Content: Under the close supervision of a Public Information Specialist 4, Digital Content or other supervisory official in a local…
- Public Information Specialist 2 Digital Content: Under the limited supervision of a Public Information Specialist 4, Digital Content or other supervisory official in a local…
- Public Information Specialist 3 Digital Content: Under the general supervision of a Public Information Specialist 4, Digital Content or other supervisory official in a local…
- Public Information Specialist 4 Digital Content: Under the direction of a higher-level supervisory official in a local government agency, supervises and oversees the activities and…
Requirements across the family
Across the 4 titles we have parsed, the education requirements read as a bachelor's degree on 4 of them. Stated experience runs from 1 year at the lowest rung to 5 at the highest, which is the main thing separating one level from the next.
On how the jobs are filled: 4 are competitive, filled from an eligible list after an open competitive or promotional examination.
How the pay is set
No state salary schedule applies here, because these are local titles. Pay is set by each adopting county, municipality or authority under its own ordinance or negotiated agreement, so two employers using the same title code can pay very differently. How local civil service pay works.
Where these jobs exist
Nothing in this family is hired by a state department. These are local codes, which means the employer is a county, municipality, authority, library, fire district or school district that chose to come under Title 11A. Roughly a quarter of New Jersey's municipalities did. In the rest, the same job exists but the hiring is done outside the civil service system entirely, so the title code will never appear in a posting. Check a specific employer before you plan around one of these titles, or read how local civil service works.
Related titles elsewhere in the plan
Other classifications built on the same terms as Public Information Specialist. Worth checking if this family has no current opening.
- Public Information Specialist Trainee, Digital Content (local jurisdiction)
- Public Information Officer (local jurisdiction)
- Public Information Officer (local jurisdiction)
- Public Information Officer ($62,091 to $86,926, state jurisdiction)
- Public Information Assistant (local jurisdiction)
- Public Information Assistant ($58,222 to $84,763, state jurisdiction)
Common questions about Public Information Specialist jobs
How many separate Public Information Specialist classifications does New Jersey have?
The Public Information Specialist family holds 4 title codes arranged across 4 levels. Each code is a separate classification with its own published specification, requirements and salary treatment.
How much is a Public Information Specialist paid?
No state salary schedule figure is published for the titles in this family, which is normal for local classifications. Local civil service employers set their own pay by ordinance or negotiated agreement, so the rate depends on which county, municipality or authority is hiring.
Is there a civil service test for Public Information Specialist?
Yes for most of the family. 4 of the 4 titles are in the competitive division, which means appointment comes from an eligible list built by an open competitive or promotional examination.
What are the requirements to become a Public Information Specialist?
The most common education requirement in this family is a bachelor's degree, named on 4 of the 4 titles. Stated experience ranges from 1 to 5 years depending on the rung. Read the individual specification for the exact wording, including any experience substitution.